IRD Duhallow supporting inclusivity in the classroom with dyslexia-friendly books

Author Shane Casey

Thirty-five schools across Cork and Kerry will each receive a set of 4 dyslexia-friendly children’s books about Irish wildlife, thanks to IRD Duhallow CLG and Burren author, Shane Casey. Dyslexia affects, on average, 3 children in every class of 24. However, despite a significant increase in the awareness and understanding of the challenges faced, there remains limited resources available for the children themselves.

Through the support of IRD Duhallow CLG, as part of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, one collection of Irish published books, the Nature’s Adventures collection, is working to buck this trend. Speaking about the dyslexia friendly elements of the book’s design and layout, author Shane Casey says, “they’re only little changes, but they make a huge difference. We use a combination of special font, colour schemes, and layout to make it easier for children with dyslexia to read. Little things, like avoiding a double space after a full stop, prevents white lightning on the page. Or left aligning the text instead of justifying it, makes it easier to see where the sentence ends, and is less daunting for a young reader than a block of text”.

Shane is an Environmental Awareness Officer and former Biodiversity Officer, and with three stories in each book, his series helps to engage children with the wildlife on their own doorstep; from hedgehogs and mayflies to song thrushes and salmon. “So many children’s books personify wildlife and nature beyond recognition”, says Shane, “and in the midst of a global biodiversity and climate crisis, it’s important to both understand and appreciate the world around us”. To strengthen their educational value, Shane has also produced accompanying support materials for teachers and parents (available as a free download from www. shanecaseybooks.ie).

For further information please contact Nollaig Murphy Development Officer IRD Duhallow 029-60633

Sinead Guiney accepts a set of readers from Nollaig Murphy on on behalf of Kanturk's Girl's School